Lemosho 9 Days Trek with stay in Crater

Why this itinerary

For those that want to spend some time on the summit and in the crater on top of the mountain. This is the complete Kilimanjaro experience – more acclimatisation time, more culture, more spectacular scenery and a less arduous summit bid.

Itinerary In brief

Description

A 9 day ascent to the roof of Africa. Starting at Lemosho on the western side and traversing across the most spectacular parts of the mountain, this is the ultimate Kilimanjaro trip. It follows the same route as the 8 day Lemosho Route but summits the mountain during the day with more time spent in the crater.

Highlights

West Kilimanjaro! afromontane forest, Shira plateau, glacial valleys and alpine desert, views of Mawenzi. An ascent of Kibo with options to explore the summit caldera and ash pit, glaciers and the roof of Africa!

In detail

LEMOSHO FOREST

After breakfast you depart by vehicle to Kilimanjaro National Park. At the gate your crew finalize packing and after finishing with formalities you return to your vehicle for another 30 minutes or so until you arrive at the start of the Lemosho Trail. Today’s hiking is through verdant afromontane forest and is steep in places. A picnic lunch is usually taken on trail during the hike before reaching Forest Camp for the night.

Shira 1

From the forested slopes of Lemosho you ascend through Podocarpus and Juniper forest and break out of the forest on to the heath zone and the Shira Plateau. A hot lunch is taken at Shira 1 Camp and the rest of the afternoon is spent relaxing and acclimatising to the new environment.

MOIR CAMP

Crossing the Shira plateau can be one of the most scenic parts of the trip and this morning we hike for around 4-5 hours to Moir Camp, where lunch is taken. The afternoon is spent acclimatising and for those with the energy a hike in the late afternoon up to a viewpoint is highly recommended to keep the blood flowing.

BARRANCO CAMP

From Moir we traverse across the slopes of Kibo. Here relatively little flora or fauna can survive the extreme temperature ranges and conditions that typify this zone. Today is a “walk high sleep low” day. You ascend into alpine desert to Lava Tower (Alt: 15,092ft, 4600m) where lunch is taken before descending to Barranco Camp. This is a long day but note that the next time you head to this altitude is in two days time at base camp – a great acclimatisation day!

KARANGA CAMP

From Barranco Camp, famous for its giant groundsels (Senecio species), you ascend the Barranco Wall and hike glacial valleys to Karanga Camp. Today is a relatively short day’s hike and lunch is taken at Karanga camp. The afternoon is spent relaxing and acclimatising. In the evening a practice walk for the summit is taken to make sure you are completely comfortable with the kit you are going to summit in.

BARAFU CAMP

Today is another half day ascending to Barafu Camp. Once again lunch is taken in camp allowing plenty of time to relax before the summit bid. Desolate alpine desert and, at times, strong winds rip over this camp; yet in the evening splendid views of Mawenzi are the norm. A relatively early dinner is taken before heading to rest for the rest of the evening.

KIBO CRATER CAMP

Unlike other routes with a night time ascent, your hike selection affords you a day time ascent to Kibo Crater. The going is slow but with constant encouragement from your climb team the rim of Kibo is reached before descending a little way into the caldera to Crater Camp. The afternoon is spent relaxing and exploring the area with your guide.

MWEKA CAMP

After a night in the crater you now have the shortest final summit bid of any route. With such a short distance to the summit from the crater (around 1 hour) means that timing arrival with the sunrise is much easier and quite spectacular. The summit of Kilimanjaro is the top of the highest freestanding mountain in the world. After your summit bid you then descend for a final night on the mountain at Mweka Camp passing back through the heath zone. Endemic proteas, pollinated by Malachite Sunbirds are plentiful.

ARUSHA

After breakfast you descend once again through afromontane forest and around midday, after saying farewell to your crew, you are picked up and transferred back to your lodge for a well deserved shower!

Upon arrival, you will be met by a representative of Suricata Safaris to congratulate you and answer any other questions you may have.

Medical equipment which can be rented well in advance for the following costs: $250/group for hyperbaric chamber, $210/group for an emergency oxygen cylinder and $140/group for a stretcher. Please note these prices include a porter to carry the equipment.

Portable toilets: If you are concerned about using public toilets, a portable toilet is available for an extra $110/person or $180/group. This service must be confirmed at the time of booking.

Note

The luggage that porters are allowed to carry is limited to 35 pounds (ie: 15 kgs)

Overweight or extra luggage will require an extra porter at a rate of $10/bag/day

You can leave extra luggage at your hotel in Arusha or at our office (do not leave any valuables like cash, jewelry, electronics).

P.O. Box

Follow Us

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.